Review: The Mike Batt Archive Series: Released May 4 by Dramatico (From This Is Wiltshire)

Review: The Mike Batt Archive Series: Released May 4 by Dramatico

3:54pm Monday 25th May 2009

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Mike Batt is one of those musicians whose sheer variety of styles makes him impossible to categorise.

My iTunes lists his albums under classical, rock and pop.

And does it matter. He is an extremely versatile and talented musician who has never rested on his laurels and always been ready to try something new.

To celebrate his 40th year in the music business Dramatico – his own recording label – has released The Mike Batt Archive Series, three double album sets, originally released between 1977 and 1995.

They are paired as Schizophrenia (1977)/Tarot Suite (1979); Waves (1980)/Six Days in Berlin (1981); Songs of Love and War (1988)/Arabesque (1995).

The release of this archive follows last year’s Mike Batt A Songwriter’s Tale on which he sang his version of his own songs, many of which had made the charts for other artists.

Six Days in Berlin, which was recorded in the Hansa Studio overlooking the notorious Berlin wall, seven years before the wall fell, is a wise inclusion in the collection. It’s symphonic, sometimes grandly so, yet with more than a hint of rock.

It was not rated much at the time of its release in the middle of the punk era. One critic dismissed it as “Stravinsky on acid meets everybody else on acid.” My suspicion is the critic himself was on something toxic, and his critical faculties had been eroded by too much punk.

Now it is in the arena once more, it deserves to be reassessed.

Songs of Love and War contains great numbers like Warsaw contrasting with the whimsical Railway Hotel, the bitter Soldier’s Song and the irresistible Caravan Song.

Arabesque includes The Closest thing To Crazy, which has subsequently become a hit for Batt’s protégé Katie Melua.

Schizophrenia was Batt’s first solo album which has an Arab theme in the first half, which persuaded film producer Elmo Williams to commission Batt to write the Score for Caravans in 1978. The Ride To Agadir is a superb illustration of Batt’s grasp of striking harmonies which raise the hair on the back of our neck.

Tarot Suite has Roger Chapman and Colin Blunstone as guest artists. It includes favourite tracks such as Lady of the Dawn, Imbecile, Losing Your Way in the Rain and Run Like the Wind.

The liner notes are by Mike Batt and interesting in themselves.

It’s a terrific collection. It’s out now and of course each double album can be bought separately – put it on your wish list now.

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